TORAH
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Zechariah - Chapter 4
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1The angel who talked with me came back and woke me as a man is wakened from sleep.
אוַיָּשָׁב הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי וַיְעִירֵנִי כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֵעוֹר מִשְּׁנָתוֹ׃
2He said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a menorah all of gold, with a bowl above it. The lamps on it are seven in number, and the lamps above it have seven pipes;
va-YO-mer ay-LAI MAH a-TAH ro-EH va-o-MAR ra-EE-tee v'-hi-NAY m'-no-RAT za-HAV ku-LAH v'-gu-LAH al ro-SHAH v'-shiv-AH nay-ro-TE-ha a-LE-ha shiv-AH v'-shiv-AH mu-tza-KOT la-nay-ROT a-SHER al ro-SHAH
בוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי מָה אַתָּה רֹאֶה ויאמר [וָאֹמַר] רָאִיתִי וְהִנֵּה מְנוֹרַת זָהָב כֻּלָּהּ וְגֻלָּהּ עַל־רֹאשָׁהּ וְשִׁבְעָה נֵרֹתֶיהָ עָלֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה וְשִׁבְעָה מוּצָקוֹת לַנֵּרוֹת אֲשֶׁר עַל־רֹאשָׁהּ׃
4:2 A menorah all of gold
Replica of the Temple menorah
The Sages refer to Yerushalyim as ‘the light of the world,’ ohro shel olam (אורו של עולם). The symbol of this holy spiritual light was the Temple lamp, the menorah (מנורה), which emanated light through the unusual windows of the Sanctuary. These windows were made narrower on the inside, bringing less sunlight into the Sanctuary, but maximizing the spiritual light that burst forth to the world. This is symbolic of Israel’s mission to be a “light of nations” (Isaiah 42:6).
3and by it are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and one on its left.”
גוּשְׁנַיִם זֵיתִים עָלֶיהָ אֶחָד מִימִין הַגֻּלָּה וְאֶחָד עַל־שְׂמֹאלָהּ׃
4I, in turn, asked the angel who talked with me, “What do those things mean, my lord?”
דוָאַעַן וָאֹמַר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי לֵאמֹר מָה־אֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִי׃
5“Do you not know what those things mean?” asked the angel who talked with me; and I said, “No, my lord.”
הוַיַּעַן הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּ מָה־הֵמָּה אֵלֶּה וָאֹמַר לֹא אֲדֹנִי׃
6Then he explained to me as follows: “This is the word of Hashem to Zerubavel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit—said the lord of Hosts.
ווַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר זֶה דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל לֵאמֹר לֹא בְחַיִל וְלֹא בְכֹחַ כִּי אִם־בְּרוּחִי אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
7Whoever you are, O great mountain in the path of Zerubavel, turn into level ground! For he shall produce that excellent stone; it shall be greeted with shouts of ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!'”
זמִי־אַתָּה הַר־הַגָּדוֹל לִפְנֵי זְרֻבָּבֶל לְמִישֹׁר וְהוֹצִיא אֶת־הָאֶבֶן הָרֹאשָׁה תְּשֻׁאוֹת חֵן חֵן לָהּ׃
8And the word of Hashem came to me:
חוַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃
9“Zerubavel's hands have founded this House and Zerubavel's hands shall complete it. Then you shall know that it was the lord of Hosts who sent me to you.
טיְדֵי זְרֻבָּבֶל יִסְּדוּ הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה וְיָדָיו תְּבַצַּעְנָה וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּי־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם׃
10Does anyone scorn a day of small beginnings? When they see the stone of distinction in the hand of Zerubavel, they shall rejoice. “Those seven are the eyes of Hashem, ranging over the whole earth.”
יכִּי מִי בַז לְיוֹם קְטַנּוֹת וְשָׂמְחוּ וְרָאוּ אֶת־הָאֶבֶן הַבְּדִיל בְּיַד זְרֻבָּבֶל שִׁבְעָה־אֵלֶּה עֵינֵי יְהֹוָה הֵמָּה מְשׁוֹטְטִים בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ׃
11“And what,” I asked him, “are those two olive trees, one on the right and one on the left of the menorah?”
va-A-an va-o-MAR ay-LAV mah sh'-NAY ha-zay-TEEM ha-AY-leh al y'-MEEN ha-m'-no-RAH v'-al s'-mo-LAH
יאוָאַעַן וָאֹמַר אֵלָיו מַה־שְּׁנֵי הַזֵּיתִים הָאֵלֶה עַל־יְמִין הַמְּנוֹרָה וְעַל־שְׂמֹאולָהּ׃
Zechariah 4:11 Those two olive trees
Emblem of the State of Israel
The menorah and olive branches depicted in Zecharya’s vision were chosen as the centerpieces of the State of Israel’s emblem. According to its designers, the olive branches symbolize the state’s peaceful intentions. The image of the menorah, copied from the Arch of Titus, attests to the link of the Jewish people with their glorious past in their homeland, and Israel’s return to its former luster. There are perhaps no two better symbols to represent the Jewish people. Oil is extracted when pressure is applied. In a similar fashion, the Jewish people are refined when faced with difficulty, as hardship allows one to become more sensitive to others and form a closer connection with Hashem. It follows that olive oil is used to light the menorah, representing clarity and wisdom for the entire world.
12And I further asked him, “What are the two tops of the olive trees that feed their gold through those two golden tubes?”
יבוָאַעַן שֵׁנִית וָאֹמַר אֵלָיו מַה־שְׁתֵּי שִׁבֲּלֵי הַזֵּיתִים אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד שְׁנֵי צַנְתְּרוֹת הַזָּהָב הַמְרִיקִים מֵעֲלֵיהֶם הַזָּהָב׃
13He asked me, “Don't you know what they are?” And I replied, “No, my lord.”
יגוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּ מָה־אֵלֶּה וָאֹמַר לֹא אֲדֹנִי׃
14Then he explained, “They are the two anointed dignitaries who attend the Lord of all the earth.”
ידוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי בְנֵי־הַיִּצְהָר הָעֹמְדִים עַל־אֲדוֹן כָּל־הָאָרֶץ׃
